The Tykes are Back
by Splinter1
Summary: Raven gets much needed emotional recovery when her "kids" want to see her. After an altercation with an old enemy, the kids and Bobby get to see the Tower. Melvin needs rescued later in the story. Rating upgraded to T
1. A call for Raven

**The Tykes Are Back**

_December, 2011_

_Author's Notes: The Teen Titans are owned by DC Comics/Warner Brothers/Cartoon Network._

**Prologue  
>[A month after "Return of Malchior"]<strong>

_Robin, Leader of the Titans, writes…_

_The battle against evil continues, even after what happened to Raven recently. She's still recovering from the mental and emotional damage caused by Malchior. Luckily, Edward fought for Raven in her mindscape and here in the real world._

_Edward's acting like he worried that I'd ask him to leave the team after the fight against that other dragon. He's got nothing to worry about, though. We've made it clear that we understand why he was acting like he did. He wasn't fighting for the Titans…He was protecting Raven. He is also being affected by what happened though. He doesn't say much about it, but, the telepathic link between them allows Raven's more intense emotions to bleed through. It's hurting him as much as she is._

_But, there's a side of Raven that she doesn't tell us about. I had sent her on a mission to escort some children to a safe place and, I think she actually bonded with them. Yeah, tough, private Raven has a soft side after all. And, we're about to see how these children have affected her as they are here…_

**Chapter 1  
>[Titan Tower - October 5, 2010]<strong>

The Titans were enjoying a film one afternoon after Edward treated the team to a pizza party that was long overdue. Raven had finally recovered enough that Edward green lighted the pizza party to celebrate Malchior's ultimate defeat. It was also his way of smoothing over any rough feathers from his reaction to the threat.

As they were eating, though, the communications system went off. Terra was pulling communications duty, so, she went over to the system and punched up the visual.

"Titans Tower, this is Terra," she said.

A man who looked like a monk appeared.

"Hello?"

Raven's ears perked up hearing the voice.

"May I help you?" Terra asked.

"Is there someone named Raven there?" he asked.

"I'll take it, Terra," Raven said instantly, her instincts at a higher alert.

"Here she is," Terra said and moved away as Raven sat down.

"Raven here," she said.

"Hello, Raven," the man said. Edward turned his head and saw a guy that looked like a monk there. He was heavy-set with a beard.

"What's up?" she asked.

"The children have been asking about you," he said, "They'd like to see you."

"Why?" she said.

"It was Melvin's idea," the man said, "she, Timmy and Teether miss you."

"I don't know if I can take the time away from the team," she said.

Edward joined her, curious.

"I can take you, dear," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Go, Raven," Robin encouraged, "You can take a day or two off if you want."

"Looks like I'll be there," Raven said. They heard several children cheering in the background.

In fact, a girl, about 6 years old grabbed the communicator and was smiling broadly.

"Raven!" she cheered, "You're coming to visit?"

"Yeah," Raven said. Edward heard something in Raven's voice he hadn't heard before and that was a gentleness towards her, more of affection.

"Who is that?" the girl said, "Bobby wants to know as well."

"This is Edward, a special friend," Raven explained, "He's very friendly."

"Is he coming?" she asked.

Edward nodded, "Hi. Yes, I'll be with Raven. I have to bring her to see you."

She said, "Neat! I'd like that!"

"Melvin," Raven said, "We'll be there shortly. Ask Bobby to be there as well. I want to introduce him to Edward."

"OK," Melvin replied, "If you trust Edward, Bobby says he will as well."

"Edward's saved my life more than once," Raven said calmly, "I trust him."

"OK! See you soon! Bye-bye!" Melvin said and the connection went dark.

"Friends of yours, dear?" Edward said cheekily.

"Yeah," Raven said, "I had to escort them a few months ago. The Brotherhood of Evil was targeting them and other young folks with special powers. A giant ape named Mallah was chasing us. Powerful and intelligent. He almost took my kids before Bobby showed up and chased Mallah away."

"Your kids?" Edward asked.

"Well, I sort of bonded with them," Raven said.

"Dude…she got like totally attached to them," Beast Boy said, earning himself a classic Raven smack.

Edward raised an eyebrow. "I take it you're protective of them?" he asked.

"Of course," Raven said.

"Good enough for me!" Edward said, "Let's go see them. But, who is Bobby?"

"You have to see it to believe it," Raven deadpanned.

"For far is it from here?" Edward asked.

"Far enough you'll want to teleport, unless you want to fly for a week."

"Fair enough," Edward said.

Raven floated to her room and grabbed some gear before returning.

"You going to grab anything, dear?" she asked.

"I'm good," he said.

She smiled at him, "Let's go."

They headed for the roof, where he shapeshifted to Dragon and when Raven got on, she said, "Get the destination from my mind, please."

She sent him the location via their telepathic bond and as Edward ran for the edge of the building, his wings extended and soon as he leapt from the edge, he took the important downstroke and became airborne. A moment later, the Titans saw them disappear in a flash of light.


	2. Raven and Edward see the kiddies

**Chapter 2  
>[Mountain monastery]<strong>

Edward emerged from the teleport and as soon as Raven got down, he resumed his human form.

"After you, pretty lady," Edward said. Raven smirked, "Don't you forget it!"

She went up and knocked at the door.

A moment later, a voice called out, "Who goes there?"

"Raven and Edward," she called back.

The door opened and the monks looked surprised. The one who had used the Titan communicator said, "How did you get here so fast?"

"Edward can teleport," Raven said, "May we come in?"

"Of course!" he said, "Welcome to our humble abode!"

Edward bowed in respect, "Thank you for your welcome."

"Any friend of Raven's is welcome here," the man said.

"RAVEN!" Melvin yelled, running at the empath. Raven bent low and accepted the hug. Edward raised an eyebrow. Raven never hugged anyone unless there was a reason.

"Melvin," Raven said, "I missed you."

Rae MISSING someone? This is a surprise! he thought.

[I heard that!] she said with a laugh.

[Dear, I had to get used to you, remember? This is totally out of character for you…but I love it,] Edward replied.

"Melvin," Raven said, "This is Edward. He's a very special friend to me. Edward, this is Melvin. She's a special kid in her own right."

Melvin held out a hand and Edward took it oh so gently. Then, Edward said, "It's very nice to meet you, Melvin."

"Bobby says that you're weird," Melvin said a second later.

"Melvin!" Raven scolded, "Tell Bobby to be nice. Edward's not weird."

"Who is Bobby?" Edward asked.

"He's my friend. He helps protect us here from the monkey man," Melvin answered.

A couple of smaller children came up to Melvin.

"Who this guy?" the older boy asked.

"Timmy, be nice to Edward," Melvin said, "He's Raven's special friend."

The littlest one looked like he was about 2 years old, maybe 2 and a half, just held up his arms to be held.

"Rae?" Edward asked.

"Go ahead," she said, "I think Teether wants you."

Edward reached down and picked up the kid, which started Timmy to screaming, "Pick me up too!"

Edward rolled his eyes, but, picked up the kid before his tantrum could continue.

[Sorry, dear,] Raven apologized.

[It's OK,] Edward said.

"Sorry, Mr. Edward," Melvin said, "We've been trying to get Timmy to stop this without much luck."

"It's all right, Melvin," Edward said with a smile, "I've helped to raise kids before."

"Not like these," Raven said, "But, they do grow on you."

Edward looked at the blanket and saw a line of staples.

"Your work, dear?" Edward sassed.

"Yuk it up," Raven said, "It was either that or listen to his crying all night."

"Well, Timmy," Edward said, "If you want Rae and I to visit, you have to stay calm and be nice to her. Can we do that?"

Timmy looked into Edward's eyes and saw the instant compassion and caring there. He nodded, "Can try."

The monks said, "You may take the children outside if you'd like."

"That'd be wonderful," Raven said.

They went outside and the two kids that Edward was holding wanted down, so, he placed them on the ground.

"Bobby says he's like to meet you," Melvin said.

Edward looked up and his jaw hit the ground, "Oh my! 3,000 years old and never saw a huge living teddy bear!"

He was staring up at a 15 foot tall stuffed bear that was obviously alive.

"He's gentle with the children," the oldest monk said, "And very protective as well."

"I bet," Edward said.

"He is," Melvin said, "He's my bestest friend! Aren't you, Bobby?"

The bear nodded and smiled.

The group started walking around.

"Monkey Man!" Timmy called out.

Raven snarled, "Not again! Mallah is here!"

"Get the kids to safety, Rae," Edward said, tensing for battle. Bobby looked around and loped off into the woods, an angry look on his face.

Raven got the kids back into the building and took to the air, looking for the giant ape.

Edward formed an eagle and took to the air. It didn't take long to find it, though.

[Found Mallah! Look for a lightning bolt!] he said through the link.

He landed and formed his mini-dragon form.

"Hey, banana brain," he said, "Why do you want to bother those kids?"

Mallah turned and saw Edward.

"Because the Brain wants them for the Brotherhood," Mallah said in a thick French accent.

"Not happening," Edward said and fired off a lightning bolt into the air.

Edward said, "I'll give you a chance to turn your monkey butt around before Raven, Bobby and I hand it to you."

"You are just a lizard," he said, "You cannot hope to beat me. I'll defeat you, beat you senseless before taking the kids."

"You just said the wrong thing," Raven said from the air, "No one threatens my kids…or my boyfriend! Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

Her black energy lashed out and slammed Mallah to the ground, hard. He grunted and tried to rise, only to get a face full of Edward's tail.

Mallah flew through the air and bounced off Bobby, who grabbed Mallah and slammed him into the ground.

Mallah rose and saw an angry Raven, a mildly ticked Edward and an equally angry looking Bobby.

"Still want the kiddies?" Edward asked.

Mallah charged Edward and tried to swing, only to miss. Edward formed his own large gorilla and snarled.

Mallah wasn't fazed, "So, you're a shapeshifter like that green brat, huh? Bet you're as intelligent as him."

Mallah charged again, intending to take Edward's head off with the first punch, only to find his punch blocked and being knocked backward by Edward's uppercut, right to where Bobby was waiting his shot. Mallah stumbled and Bobby caught him and body slammed Mallah into the grass.

He stood up and charged Edward again, to be met by a gorilla sized kick to the gut. Mallah was winded from the kick and Edward used a two fisted blow to his back to knock the intelligent gorilla to the ground again.

[Go for it, Rae!] Edward called through the link.

Raven used her powers to rip several trees out of the ground and stacked them on Mallah. The pile of trees shook for a moment as Mallah tried to get loose.

Edward returned to human form and said, "Don't even try to escape. I haven't broken out my breath weapons yet. Escape and you will end up wishing you hadn't. I'll only tell you this once: Leave Raven's kids alone. Tell your boss that they are OFF LIMITS. They are under the protection of the Teen Titans."

"Never!" Mallah said, "They are the Brotherhood's and you can't stop me!"

"Leave them alone!" Raven said, her voice as cold as liquid nitrogen.

"Take the logs off, dear," Edward said, "Mallah's in for the shock of his life."

Edward transformed to Dragon and allowed his spine ridges to light up a nice white glow.

Soon as Raven moved enough logs, Mallah stood up and saw the glow of Edward's spine.

"What are you going to do?" he said, just before Edward opened fire, hitting Mallah with a burst of lightning.

Mallah screamed and spasmed violently. Edward didn't want to kill Mallah or even torture him. His goal was to send a message that spoke louder than words, though.

He stopped the lightning after about 10 seconds, though. Mallah fell over, out cold. He'd be out for several hours.

"Where can I take him?" Edward mused. He wanted Mallah as far away as possible.

"South Pole?" Raven said.

"Put him on ice, huh?" he sassed.

Raven shook her head, "You've been around Beast Boy too much."

Edward walked over to Mallah and saw something on his back.

"What's this?" he asked.

"A personal helicopter," Raven said, "You may want to disable it or remove it."

Edward looked and saw it was attached with some metal bands. Edward snapped those off and removed the device.

"Levitate him onto my back, please?" he asked.

Raven chanted once more and Mallah was encased in the black aura and placed on Edward's back.

"Back in a minute," he said and after getting a few feet in the air, teleported.

Edward emerged from the teleport near the South Pole and dumped the gorilla off his back. Edward made sure that he had no way of communications before teleporting back to Raven and Bobby.

"Well, that monkey's off my back," he quipped.

Raven had a hard time keeping from smiling, "OK, I'll give you that one…but, it's not better than Beast Boy's lame jokes."

"Thanks for the help, Bobby," Edward called up. The teddy bear smiled broadly and lifted Edward up for a hug.

Then, Bobby gently set Edward down.

"Gentler than Starfire's hugs," Edward said, "Most impressive. Let's go back."

Raven started floating that way and Edward formed his mini-dragon form and caught up with Raven.

"Good fight," he complimented.

"Yeah, it was," she said, "Thanks for not doing all the work yourself."

"I try to save the team some of the action," he protested.

"Not always, dearest," Raven said sadly, "The guys don't mind you handling the bigger threats like Malchior, but, you sometimes want to handle the smaller ones as well, leaving the team with little to do."

Edward sighed, "I'm sorry about that, Rae."

"I know," she said, "They asked me to talk to you about it, that's all. Promise me that you'll take it easy and let the team work together. I know you're used to handling everything yourself, but, you have the other Titans and I watching your back as well."

Edward nodded his head, "You're right. I give you my word. I'll take it easy in the fights unless I see the team's overwhelmed."

Rae floated to Edward and gave him a quick kiss on the snout.

By then, though, they were in sight of the building and set down. Edward returned to his human form as the kids raced back outside.

"Monkey Man gone?" Timmy asked.

"Yes, Monkey Man's gone," Raven said, "My friend took him far, far away."

The kids looked happy to hear that. But, Edward was puzzled as to why Mallah would have tried again to kidnap the children. From what he'd been told, the Brotherhood was dismantled and out of business. Somehow, they had started to recover and wanted the children to corrupt.

No wonder Raven was in a foul mood. She had started to see the kids as hers. It was a mothering instinct in the empath kicking in. Why else would she have hugged them. She didn't do hugs.

Edward set that aside as he was worried about other attempts on the children's safety.

"Rae? What would Robin think if we brought the kids back to the Tower for a while?" Edward asked.

She had to think about that one for a moment, "Not sure how he'd react to a day care center. It would take someone off missions to watch them, for one."

"True," Edward said, "Each one of us has unique things to bring to the table. Bobby is too big to really fit in the Tower easily, but, considering that we don't see much rain, he could feasibly stay outside for the most part."

"He could," Raven said, "And, he'd keep the kids out of harm's way as much as he can.

"But, they could still get into things that the team couldn't afford to see damaged, especially stuff that Robin needs for his belt."

Edward pondered the problem while they were reassuring the kids that the threat was gone for a long time.

The group ended up staying outside for a long time, playing and just having fun. Edward realized something about his beloved Raven…The kiddies were actually helping her to forget what had happened a few weeks before. The children were helping her to heal more.

Raven hadn't been herself after Malchior was ultimately defeated. She allowed only Edward to approach her with meals and they would spend a few minutes together, but, the damage was so extensive that she was barely in control at times.

But, now, she was actively allowing "her kids" in and they were able to see what Raven was really like. They brought out a different emotion in her. Edward couldn't place it, but, he enjoyed seeing Raven letting herself relax.

He didn't even need the link to see the positive effect the kids were having.

"You know what I'd like to ride, Raven?" Melvin asked.

"What's that?" Raven replied.

"A chocolate pony!" Melvin said.

"Well," Raven replied, "You know why Edward's a special friend?"

"Why is that?" the little girl replied.

"Because you're going to get your desire," Edward said.

"How? No ponies here," Melvin said.

"Can I show you something without you getting scared?" Edward asked.

"Yeah, I guess so," Melvin said.

"Watch," Edward said and moved a few feet away.

Melvin's jaw hit the dirt as she saw Edward dropping to all fours and transform himself into a chocolate brown pony.

"Edward?" Melvin asked. He bobbed his head.

[Tell Melvin I can't talk in this form, please,] Edward requested.

"Melvin," Raven said, "That's Edward, but, he can't talk in this form."

"Can he talk at all?" she asked.

[Mind if I tell her about the link?] Raven asked.

[Melvin's too little to understand telepathy, Rae,] he said, [But, we can try, I guess.]

"Melvin," Raven said, "Edward and I share a bond. Like you and Bobby do. You hear Bobby in your head, right?"

Melvin nodded, "That's how he talks to me."

"Well," Raven said, "I can hear Edward in my head and he hears me in his head. That way we can talk to each other whenever we want to."

"Neat!" Melvin said, "Can I ride him?"

"Of course you can!" Raven said with a giggle. She picked Melvin up and put her on his back.

"I wanna ride too!" Timmy said loudly. Raven rolled her eyes and put him in front of Melvin.

[Good to go?] Edward asked.

"Yeah, Teether gets an upset stomach," Raven said aloud.

Edward started at a slow trot before picking up the pace. Melvin and Timmy loved it as Edward continued to trot around the area, Raven floating along besides them.

"Having fun, dear?" Raven asked.

[Actually, I am!] Edward replied, [I enjoy kids and, well, seeing how these tykes have touched you emotionally and in a good way, makes this more special. I'll talk to Robin and see if we can bring the kids over for a week or two. I think they can help you without knowing how or why.]

Raven shook her head, "I'm fine, Edward. I think they'd like to see the Tower and I have a hunch that Starfire will adore them."

[A hunch, Rae? You're talking about the girl who considers Silkie to be her baby, right?] Edward said.

Raven said, "You got me there."

Meanwhile, Melvin and Timmy were still enjoying themselves and not even paying attention to the conversation, but, Edward needed to call back to the Tower and started heading back to the main building and the waiting monks.

As they arrived, the head monk said, "It's time for the late afternoon meal. You're welcome to join us."

"We should be heading home," Raven said, "But, we might be back in a day. We need to talk to our team leader and see if we can bring the kids home with us for a few days."

Melvin said, "Can we go with Raven and Edward, pretty please?"

The monk looked around for Edward and as he was still in pony form, they totally missed him. He was holding Teether as he was too little for the pony ride.

"Where is your friend, Melvin?" the monk asked.

"We're riding him!" Timmy blurted out.

"How are you riding him?" the monk asked, scratching his head.

"Edward's a shape-shifter," Raven explained, "He's the pony you are seeing.

"Interesting," the monk said.

Raven took Melvin and Timmy off Edward's back and the monk almost fainted seeing Edward return to human form.

"Wow!" was all the monk said.

"Would you excuse me for a few minutes?" Edward asked.

"Sure," Raven said.

Edward walked around the side of the building and pulled out his communicator.

"Edward to Robin," he said after activating it.

Robin's face came on screen, "Hi, Edward! How's the visit going?"

"Well, we had a little excitement here. Mallah tried to take the kids. He didn't get near them, though. Raven, a friend and I taught that ugly ape a lesson," Edward said.

"Where's Mallah now?" Robin asked, concerned.

"Chilling out at the South Pole," Edward quipped.

"Good one!" Beast Boy said in the background, earning a glare from Robin.

"Should we pick him up?" Robin said.

"Nah, have Interpol pick him up. By the time they arrive, he'll be begging to be taken to a nice warm brig and prison cell," Edward advised, "I want him to learn that no matter what the Brain says, there's a nice ice flow waiting for him and that it doesn't pay to kidnap kids."

"All right," Robin said, "Outside of that, how are things?"

"Raven's relaxing," Edward said with a smile, "First time in weeks I've seen her relaxed enough to smile. She even hugged the kids. I think she's emotionally adopted them."

"That's what we figured as well," Robin said, "She really needed this, I suppose."

Edward nodded, "I'd like to bring them to the Tower for a few days if that's all right?"

Robin didn't hesitate, "If it helps Raven, they can stay as long as they'd like. But, they're your responsibility, Edward. The team will help, but, during missions while they're here…you and/or Raven will be staying back to babysit."

"Understood," Edward said, "They can stay with me in my room. I'll need a juvenile bed and two toddler beds. But, don't commit the beds to my room yet. I need to ask Rae if she'd want to share her room as well."

[Rae? Robin's got no problem with the kids staying at the Tower. Would you like to have the team put a small bed next to your door?] Edward asked.

[That'd be…nice,] she replied, [Can you handle Timmy and Teether?]

[I should be able to,] Edward replied.

"Rae says that she's cool with the bigger bed," Edward said to Robin, "Please put it outside her door. She'll probably want to put it in there herself."

"No problem," Robin said, "Titans out." The picture went off.

Edward went to see Raven and she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a quick kiss.

"Thank you," she said, "You're the best friend I've ever had." Little did Edward know, those were supposed to be Terra's last words.

"Just doing what I do best, Rae," he said softly, "These kids are really important to you, I see."

"More than you know," she replied, totally deadpan.

"I'll bet," Edward said, "I haven't seen you this at ease in weeks, honey. I love it."

"Quit it," she said with a soft smile, "And if you tell anyone at the Tower, I'll phase you out the window."

"And I can teleport right back in, dear," Edward quipped, "Might work with BB, not as well with me."

Raven playfully smacked Edward in response. They both laughed.

"I love you, Raven," he said.

"I love you too, Edward," she replied.

"Let's get the kiddies and head back to the Tower," Edward said.

"Let them eat first," she reminded him. He did a facepalm move, "Ooops!"

They went inside and found the dining area. Sure enough, the kids were eating and there was even two spots for them.

They sat down and silently thanked their deities for the food and the friendship before digging in.

Edward raised an eyebrow at the taste and said, "This is quite good!"

Raven nodded as her mouth was full.

[I love this!] Raven said, but, it didn't sound like her…it was more cheerful.

[Happy?] Edward pondered.

[How did you know?] Happy asked. It was the first time Raven's emotions used the link.

[Happy! Don't steal the link!] Raven snapped.

[Dear, please. This is a great sign to me. Everything's going to be truly OK. It's the first time one of the emotions has piped up. At least for me, I would want to hear from these different sides to you. But, I'd respect your choice in the end,] Edward said.

[I'll have to think about it, then,] Raven said, [But, for now, let's finish eating. I need to get back and meditate on this development.]

Edward blushed, [Sorry.]

[For what?] she asked.

[I don't want to cause you undue trouble,] he said.

[Edward, you're here, nothing I can do about it. I don't want to lose this gift,] she replied, [You have something that the others don't have, even Starfire. She's only talked to me once telepathically.]

[So, that meditation session was the only time,] Edward wondered. He was thinking about when Raven was finally able to resume meditation after Malchior's shredding of her mind. Starfire knew that Raven was in extreme distress…then, the entire team knew. But, there was a different bond between the two girls and Edward recognized it and the reason why. They had shared each other's bodies and had to learn to use each other's powers.

They finished eating in peace and Raven finally said, "We need to head back home. Robin, our team leader, already said we could bring the kids back for a few days."

"Wonderful news," the monk said, "The children need a change of scene for a while."

[Translated, 'We need some peace and quiet'] Edward quipped through the link.

Raven's soft laugh was the reply.

"Melvin," Raven said, "Can you help the other two get some clothing and other baby things for a few days?"

"Sure, Raven!" Melvin said, "What about Bobby? Can he come, too?"

Edward said, "I'll have to make a 2nd trip for him, but, sure. The weather in Jump City is nice this time of year, so, he should stay dry. He has to stay invisible, though. Most folks would be really scared of a 15 foot tall teddy bear that's actually alive."

Melvin beamed with happiness as she went off with the monks to get what they needed.

It didn't take long for them to return.

"How will you get the children to where you live?" the head monk asked.

"I'm a Dragon," Edward explained, "Remember that Raven said I can teleport? Well, I'd teleport Raven and the kids to the Titan Tower, and then get Bobby."

"Bobby would want to come with us," Melvin said, "He doesn't like being left behind."

"I'd have to use a larger form," Edward mused, "But, if it solves certain problems, I guess it's all right."

"Bobby's pretty heavy," Raven said, "Can you fly with him on your back?"

"As long as I can flap the wing, yes," Edward said, "If not, I can teleport from the ground."

Raven nodded, "Might be a good idea anyway."

"Why?" Edward asked.

"Teether might puke on you," Raven said, totally monotone.

"Great," Edward groaned, "I'd have to hope that the water near the Tower's warm, then."

"I can use my cloak to keep the kids warm," Raven offered.

"Good idea," Edward said. His teleportation was different than Raven's soul self, but, there was one common side effect…Passengers ended up chilled.

The kids were escorted out and Edward shapeshifted to a larger dragon and Raven held Teether and Timmy as she formed a disc with her powers. She covered Teether's eyes once everyone was situated on his back.

Edward felt Bobby getting on and the first thing Edward thought was Holy crap!

Edward said, "Well, we're teleporting from the ground, but, let me try to get into the air."

Edward waited till Raven said, "I have Teether and Timmy taken care of. Bobby's holding Melvin."

Edward said, "Hang on! We're going airborne."

With that he leapt into the air and after taking a downstroke was airborne!

"Teleporting in 3…2…1…" Edward said and teleported back to the Tower.


	3. The Kids Visit and one COLD ape!

**Chapter 3  
>[Titans Tower]<strong>

Edward and the crew emerged from the teleport and landed at the base of the Tower.

Edward felt Bobby get off first, then, he lowered a wing to allow Raven and the kids to slide down if they wanted. Turned out that it wasn't needed as Raven floated off Edward's back and Bobby helped Melvin get down.

"You'll need to stay out here, Bobby," Raven said, "We need to see if there's room for you inside."

Bobby merely nodded.

Everyone else went inside and Edward said, "Kids, you have to be on your very best behavior. Timmy, this goes double for you. Raven and I had to ask a friend of ours if you could stay for a few days. You need to be a big boy here. No tantrums. You need to ask for stuff.

"Melvin, you need to help as much as you can."

Melvin nodded, "Sure thing!"

They went into the Tower and the security system granted Edward and Raven access.

"Computer," Raven said, "Allow quest access to Melvin, Timmy and Teether. Authorization Raven 1 Alpha 5."

"Please specify who is who?" the AI said.

"Melvin, 7 year old female. Timmy, 4 year old male. Teether, 2 year old male," Raven said.

"Identified. Raven voice authorization recognized. Access to Tower granted. Guest authorization valid for 72 hours. Cyborg notified," the AI said and went silent.

They went to the elevator and got in.

"Commons," Edward said.

The elevator rose quickly and as the door opened, Raven and Edward saw that the hall was decorated with a lot of kid items. Raven shook her head.

[Easy, dear. The others are excited to meet 'your kids', after all.] Edward said.

That earned him a glare from Raven, [The Titans already met the kids.]

Edward sighed. He wasn't in the mood to banter with Raven. He was wanting to get Timmy and Teether situated, then, see if Raven needed help. Then again, the other team members were there to assist, so, Edward relaxed a little bit.

"This way, kids," Raven said, heading for the commons. Everyone followed, except for Teether, who was still being held by Raven.

As soon as they entered the living area, they were tackled by Starfire!

"Friends! You are back!" she squealed, "You brought the little ones!"

"Take it easy, Star," Robin said with a chuckle, "You'll scare them."

"Raven's a k'norfka, now?" Starfire said.

Edward accessed his memory of Tamaranian language and said, "In a way, yes, Starfire. These are the kids that Raven had to escort to a safe house. Sadly, Mallah tried again to get the kids."

Starfire paled, "That gorilla?"

"Yeah," Raven said, "He's determined to kidnap my kids. I won't let that happen!" Her voice took on a deadly tone at the end.

Edward reached out with his free hand and took Raven's hand. He projected a calmness to her and she responded a little bit to the effort on his part.

Beast Boy said, "Yeah, Raven's a … whatever Starfire said."

Next thing Beast Boy knew, he was covered in Raven's black energy and phased through the window! She let him go and he dropped for a second before forming a bird and flying to the roof.

"Raven, it means a protector or guardian in English," Edward reminded her.

Beast Boy came back in and he didn't look happy at all, but, a glare from Edward and Robin told him to back off as there was no harm done.

"Who is the metal man?" Melvin piped up.

"That's Cyborg," Raven said.

"Pretty lights," Teether said, referring to Cyborg's neon blue colors. Cyborg blushed a little bit hearing that.

"And the pretty girl with the golden hair?" Melvin asked.

"I'm Terra," she said, coming over to the group.

"Terra pretty," Timmy said, getting a really deep blush from the geomancer as a result.

"He's a little flirt," she commented with a smile.

The kids were allowed to roam around the commons for a while, but, it soon became obvious that they were tired as well.

"Starfire," Edward asked, "Would you like to watch them for a few minutes? Raven and I need to make sure their beds are set up."

"We covered that already," Robin said, "Melvin's bed is setting outside Raven's room, and the other two are in your room."

"I can handle it dear," Raven said sweetly. She had relaxed finally to the point that all Edward sensed was contentment. Her emotions were starting to settle down after the last several weeks of intense meditation.

Edward smiled as she got up to move Melvin's bed into her room. That was a first for the young empath. She was going to allow someone in her room for an extended time. He loved seeing her like that. The kids were such a help to Raven and they had no idea what was happening.

The other Titans were also taken aback at Raven's change in attitude lately. First, she allowed herself to be loved and to return that love in full force. Her mental powers had increased a bit. That was needed to break Terra out of her stone prison.

Edward reflected, once more, on the events of the last few weeks. Terra was, for all intents and purposes, recovered from her ordeal. But, Edward kept in the back of his mind a hidden section of the Slade database entry. Nevermore was being restored during Raven's intense meditation time. Edward had yet to see it again, but, knew that was Raven's most private area. Only in an emergency would he enter without an invite. Malchior had learned the hard way what happens if someone gets past Raven's defenses. He got beaten in Nevermore, then, killed by Edward and Terra.

Far as Edward was concerned, the geomancer had paid her debt, such as it was. Edward allowed Terra to use her powers to administer the _coup de grace_ to Malchior.

But, Raven had gone into a shell, only allowing Edward in and for limited times. The recovery was going slow and she was downright moody as a result.

Raven, meanwhile was moving Melvin's small bed into her room and reflecting as well.

She knew that Edward was forced to defend her in Nevermore at grave risk to himself. Had Cyborg not been able to restart her heart, she and Edward would have died. Originally, she was furious at seeing her own breasts exposed to Edward and Cyborg when the gown she was wearing fell off. But, when she learned that there was no choice in the matter and that Edward had averted his gaze out of respect, she calmed down before her powers totally went berserk.

She had a major meltdown, though, after that, one that she had no idea how to repair at the time, then, her boyfriend reminded her that she had to try to meditate and to focus on her mantra to calm down. That worked and she was able to regain contact with her emotions. She was certainly grateful for Edward being in her life. After that horrid nightmare and meltdown, he would check in through the link when he sensed she had to take a break from the meditation. Maybe it'd be a quick "Hi" through the link, maybe she'd tolerate a longer conversation.

But, as Raven set the bed down, she realized something…The kids and Edward were providing her a safe outlet for some of those emotions. She was feeling happier than she was before the attack by Malchior. She had felt happier when Edward was there, in the background of her mind, a constant, warm presence regardless of what happened. It was something she had grown to cherish. Sometimes the presence was very muted, other times, it was quite pronounced. Today, it was somewhere in between.

There was a knock on her door and judging by how soft and low to the ground it was, it had to be Melvin.

Raven opened the door and, sure enough, there she was.

"Come in," Raven said, "I was just getting the bed ready for you."

"Thank you," Melvin said. She looked really tired as she went in. Melvin waited until Raven finished making the bed. Raven realized that the kids would all be suffering from jet lag and would be really tired.

A yawn from Melvin confirmed it, as well.

"You can nap if you'd like," Raven said, "I know that you've had a long day."

Melvin laid down without a word and was sleeping moments later, a soft snore coming from her.

Raven decided to let her sleep for an hour before waking her up. She went to the commons and didn't see Edward or the other two kids.

"Where's Edward?" she asked Beast Boy.

"He took the kids to his room to crash for a while. Timmy and Teether were both sleepy so, it was time to let them get some shuteye," Beast Boy replied.

Raven reached out with her mind and discovered that Edward was also napping. She decided to withdraw before he noticed.

"Edward's napping as well," Raven announced, "Might as well watch some TV for a change."

"Wanna play 'Mega-Monkey 5'?" Beast Boy asked.

"No," was her reply.

"Come on, it'll be fun," Beast Boy said.

"Beast Boy," Raven said, "I'm not interested."

Beast Boy knew better than to press his luck, "All right. Thought I'd ask."

"Just because I come out here to relax doesn't mean that I want to play these games," Raven said, "But, thank you for asking anyway."

Beast Boy handed the remote to Raven. He was silently surprised that she thanked him for asking if she wanted to play. But, the empath merely wanted to watch some TV before she got Melvin up. The kids would only be there for a couple of days and Raven wanted to spend as much time with them as possible.

**[An hour later]**

Raven finished watching her TV show and went to get Melvin up. She went into her room and discovered that Melvin was already awake. She looked like she had just woke up.

"I gotta go," she said, looking up at the empath.

"Bathroom is the door next to you," Raven said.

Melvin got up and entered the bathroom. A few minutes later, Raven heard the flush and Melvin came out.

"Did you wash your hands?" Raven said.

"Yes," Melvin said, putting her hands out. Raven grasped them for a second before releasing them. She smiled softly, "Sure did."

[Someone's in a good mood!] Edward said via the link.

[I am in a good mood,] she replied, [For once, Beast Boy didn't beg me to play that stupid game with him. Melvin's been taught well by the monks as well. She had a good nap.]

[Same here,] Edward said, [The boys were exhausted and by the time I got them to the room, both were sleeping. I had to lay down as well. Blasted Mallah!]

[Are you going to leave him at the South Pole?] Raven asked.

[I should, but, I know it might take a while before he's found. Kind of goes against the spirit of the 'no kill' rule, eh?] he quipped, [I'll go retrieve that ego ridden ape.]

[Just as long as he agrees to leave my kids alone!] Raven said.

[Trust me, Rae. He either agrees to my terms or he waits until the authorities pick him up. If he's smart, though, he'll make his way to one of the research stations there,] Edward said.

[Well, Mallah has enhanced intelligence, he should figure it out,] Raven retorted, [But, sadly, he uses that intelligence for evil.]

[True,] Edward said, [Let me talk to Robin first. I'll catch up to you later.]

[All right,] Raven replied and closed the link.

Edward was true to his word and sought out Robin.

After a brief discussion, it was agreed that the big ape probably got the hint. Edward contacted Interpol and made arrangements to teleport Mallah to Paris, where there'd be a nice large cell waiting for him.

Edward asked Starfire to watch the kids again. Starfire readily agreed and floated off towards Edward's room and went in. Edward trusted the Titans with the stuff in his room. Since Terra had availed herself to her room at the Tower, Edward had gotten out of his lease. That wasn't easy, though…the apartment manager pointed out that to buy out the lease would have cost Edward thousands of dollars. Luckily, Bruce Wayne stepped in and covered those costs happily. Turned out that he was a close friend of Robin and, while Edward suspected something, he decided not to pry. Edward then moved all of his belongings to his room at the Tower.

Edward teleported to the South Pole and looked for Mallah. It didn't take long to locate him, though.

"You've come to finish me off?" he said.

"No," Edward said, switching to French, "I have come to make a deal with you. You agree to not go after those children again and I will take you to Paris, where a nice warm cell awaits you, as well as food. If not, I give your coordinates to Interpol, they send someone to pick you up in a week or so. Chances are that they'd find a frozen gorilla corpse. It'd make no difference to them as justice is served.

"You're an intelligent being. Make the smart choice. A warm cell beats being frozen to death. This is not the right climate for you. Look around! Nothing but ice. It's what? 30 below zero? Even I'm cold!"

Mallah knew he really didn't have a choice in the matter. Edward was offering him a way out. It was either that or his ice encrusted body would remain there, possibly forever.

"I accept your terms," he grunted in French.

"Smart gorilla," Edward said, "I warn you of one thing, though. Do not try anything funny. I can control the teleport, you cannot. If you did something stupid, I toss you off during teleport…you would sign your own death warrant as you'd be lost for eternity. You'd never emerge from it or if you did, you could be anywhere. Emerge in rock and you're dead instantly. Emerge on the bottom of the ocean and the pressure would flatten you as your lungs implode. Emerge in space and no one would hear your final scream. Emerge in the upper atmosphere and people see the Mallah Meteor. You could even emerge in a different _time_. Imaging emerging in front of a hungry dinosaur?"

"You're joking!" he denied.

"I never joke about teleportation!" Edward roared, "I haven't lost a passenger in 3,000 years! I'm not about to start now, and not with an overgrown gorilla, either!"

Mallah actually slumped before shivering badly.

"Severe hypothermia?" Edward said. He already knew the answer.

"Get your monkey rear on board," Edward ordered. Mallah, knowing that he was facing arrest, got on. It was a better fate.

Edward took to the air and teleported to Paris…

**[Paris, France – Interpol HQ]**

Edward emerged from the teleport, with Mallah still there.

Several police officers gathered around Edward as Mallah got down.

"Remember the deal, Mallah," Edward warned, "Keep your hands where the officers can see them. Make any dumb moves and you ride the lightning again."

"On the ground, NOW!" an officer shouted. Mallah looked at the trained weapons facing him and sank to his knees.

"On your face," Edward said, "hands behind your back."

Mallah slowly complied. The officers, using several large leg shackles, cuffed Mallah's hands.

"Roll over onto your back," the officer in charge commanded. Mallah tried, but, was unsuccessful.

Edward sighed and using his snout, gave Mallah the push that was needed to get the big ape onto his back.

"Gonna take me a while to get that stench out of my nose!" Edward mused.

"We got it from here," the captain said, "Thank you for your help!"

"You're welcome," Edward said. He glared at Mallah, "Remember what lies in store if you act up…popsicle gorilla."

Mallah grumbled something under his breath. Edward opted to ignore it and teleported back home. Far as he was concerned, Mallah was handled.

Edward was relieved to be home, though. And, despite the short time he was a member of the Titans he had grown to call the Tower his home.

[I'm home, dear!] Edward said to Raven.

[Any problems?] she asked.

[Nope. Mallah had enough time to chill out,] Edward quipped.

[Yep…too much time with Beast Boy,] she groaned.

[I was being serious. He was in severe hypothermia. He was more than ready to see a nice warm cell,] Edward said.

[Oh…Sorry, dear,] she apologized.

Edward chuckled aloud, [No harm done, Rae. But, one of these days, I will get you to laugh at a joke.]

[That's what Beast Boy thinks,] she said.

[How are the kids?] he asked, changing the subject.

[Sleeping,] she said, [They had a snack and went to bed. You should see Starfire, though. She adores them.]

[Of course she does, dear. Galfore taught her well. She'll make a great mom someday…as will you,] Edward said.

Raven sighed through the link, [Could we have kids, though?]

[Don't worry about that for now. Even if that's not possible due to differences in our DNA, we can adopt. I know that you're used to these three. That's a good thing,] he said.

Edward went to his room and found a sleeping Starfire next to the kids.

[Should I let Star continue sleeping?] he asked.

[No!] Raven said, [I don't mind because I trust you not to make a move on her. It's Robin. He tends to get jealous.]

[Good point,] Edward said.

He gently touched Starfire, who woke up and almost blasted Edward.

"Hey, it's me," Edward said quietly.

"Oh! Friend Edward," she said, the starbolt fading, "Sorry."

"No problem, Star," he said with a smile, "Thank you for watching over the boys. I appreciate it, a lot."

"They are adorable…but, Timmy has the tantrum of temper sometimes," Star said.

Edward sighed, "Why did he throw a fit?"

"Silkie didn't like him," Starfire said sadly.

"Understandable, I suppose," he said, "How long did he have this tantrum?"

"Not long," she said, "Friend Beast Boy helped by doing the shifting of shape."

"Looks like I owe the green bean some thanks as well," Edward said.

"He is playing the game of monkeys," she said.

Edward said, "I know you're tired, Starfire. Go get some sleep, my friend."

Starfire smiled softly, "Thank you, friend Edward."

Edward switched to Tamaranian, "Good night, Koriand'r."

She squealed softly, "You speak my language, even my name!"

Edward smiled, "I decided to learn more about it. One of my gifts is quick language learning. It wasn't that hard to learn."

"Good night, friend Edward," she said in English. She floated off to her room, happy to know that there was one person on the planet she could speak her native language with when she wanted to.


	4. First day of the visit and an accident!

_Hi, Everyone!_

_Well, I was gonna brag about one of the voice actors on the show following me on Twitter, but, I thought better of it (I do follow the __**five primary folks**__, though). However, the first reviewer that guesses will have a chapter dedicated to them. You have a 1 in 5 chance of guessing correctly._

_OK, I know that this story is kind of jumping around a little bit, but, there is a method to my madness here. Mallah is out of the story at this point, but, with Raven's emotional/mental issues, thanks to the late Malchior, the story's going to focus for a chapter or two on how the kids and the Titans come together to help her through the remainder of her recovery. You'll notice I dropped the "Teen" aspect, though._

_Also, I know I'm seriously OOC, especially with Raven. This is post-Trigon so, I'm letting the empath learn to feel more._

_But, wait till the next story…You think Raven's had a hard time? Terra will face her nightmares with the team's help. Robin best look out because hell hath no fury like a ticked off geomancer. After that, who knows what will happen to the seven Titans. Maybe Cyborg finds someone special? (Probably not Bumble Bee, though…I haven't decided that one, yet.)_

_Those that leave signed reviews, I'll make time to respond to via PM. Those that are anonymous…or don't accept PMs, will get short replies here._

_Thanks to those who have either reviewed or did a favorite story/author alert. But, please don't expect daily updates, especially when the writer's block hits…_

_Without further ado…_

**Chapter 4  
>[Next day]<strong>

After Edward woke up, he discovered that the two boys were playing quietly. He herded them to the bathroom and discovered that Robin had dropped off some diapers and training pants for Teether. Edward smiled at that as he also found that Teether needed a change in pants.

_UGH!_ he thought to himself.

He changed the diaper and after wrapping up the smelly mess, he disposed of it.

[Good Morning, Rae,] he said through the link.

[Morning, dear!] she replied, [Happy said "Morning" as well.]

[Morning, Happy!] Edward replied.

He heard a giggle via the link as a reply.

[How did you sleep?] Raven asked.

[Very well, actually,] he replied, [You?]

[No nightmares!] she reported, [And, Melvin slept through the night. She's a doll.]

Edward smiled to himself, [That she is, Rae. What do you folks want for breakfast?]

There was a slight delay before Raven said, [Blueberry waffles sounds delightful. Melvin likes the idea as well.]

[Excellent!] Edward said, [That will work with the other Titans as well. Maybe I'll make Starfire some Zorka berry waffles.]

[She'll love that,] Raven said quietly. But, Edward knew that Raven was pretty pleased. She had a good night's sleep and well, she didn't realize that she was recovering faster.

[Wonder what giant stuffed teddy bears eat?] he wondered.

After a delay, Raven said, [If we can get Bobby safely to the forest outside Jump City, Melvin says he'll fend for himself. He doesn't like it, but, he'll do it.]

[No problem,] Edward said, [I'll teleport him over after breakfast.]

"Hungry," Timmy said.

[Kiddies are hungry,] Edward said, [See you in a little bit.]

"Come on, kids," he said aloud, "I'm hungry as well. I'm going to make blueberry waffles for breakfast."

Timmy actually smiled heating that one.

Edward picked up Teether and asked Timmy, "Want to hold my hand or carried?"

Timmy held his hand up and Edward grabbed it. Timmy was slowly learning, Edward figured. That made him happy.

He went into the common area and saw Beast Boy cooking his breakfast: tofu eggs and bacon, of course.

"Morning, BB!" Edward said, "Thanks for helping Starfire with the temperamental one here."

"No problem, dude!" he said cheerfully, "He loved it."

"I have blueberry waffles planned for breakfast, so, save some room," Edward said.

"Non-dairy, right?" he said.

"Of course, BB," Edward said with a smile. It had become an inside joke since Edward would typically fix a vegan meal for him when the others were eating meat based meals. Beast Boy had gotten used to seeing the team eating meat products. And, unlike Cyborg, Edward wouldn't try to sneak meat drippings into his food.

Beast Boy smiled at that thought as Starfire floated in.

"Morning, Star!" Edward said, "Question: Would you like blueberry waffles or zorkaberry waffles?"

"Zorkaberry!" she said before racing to her room to get some.

"Thought so," Edward said to Beast Boy.

"Can they even be cooked?" Beast Boy asked.

"Shouldn't be a problem," Edward said.

Starfire returned a few moments later with some of her favorite berries. Edward popped one into his mouth and said, "Not too bad tasting, actually. Almost like a cross between strawberry and cherry."

"You like them?" Beast Boy asked.

"Yep," Edward replied, "You haven't tried one yet?"

"Nope," Beast Boy said, "We've had 'problems' with Tamaranian food before."

"Do I want to know?" Edward said.

"Does the term 'praying to ralph' ring a bell?" Beast Boy asked.

"Ohhh!" Edward said, getting the picture. In his mind's eye, he saw the human Titans all green faced trying not to hurl.

[Dear, I can see that you know,] Raven said.

[Ooops! Sorry, love,] he replied and wiped that particular mental image.

[Thanks!] she said, giggling.

Cyborg was next in and asked, "Yo, Dawg! What's for breakfast? I'm starved! And it better not be tofu!"

"Blueberry waffles for us, Zorkaberry for Starfire, BB already made his tofu eggs and bacon. I know you want meat, so, we have bacon, sausage and/or ham."

"All right, Edward!" Cyborg said with a grin. He went to the fridge and dug out the ham steak he bought a few days before and tossed it to Edward.

"Eggs as well?" Edward asked.

"Certainly!" Cyborg, getting out a dozen.

Raven and Melvin were next in, followed by Robin, then, Terra walked in. She was looking tired, so, Edward made a mental note to see how she was doing.

"Gang's all here," Robin said, "After breakfast, we need to have a quick team meeting. Shouldn't take long, Titans."

Edward started cooking the various items. He separated the waffle mix into two bowls and stirred in the blueberries into one bowl and Starfire's zorkaberries in the other. He asked Raven to help, though. He was still working with her on basic cooking skills, and, this was her first time making waffles.

He wasn't worried about the children as they were preoccupied with Sesame Street (much to the grown-ups chagrin).

"Hand me the waffle iron, please," Edward said aloud. Raven handed him the waffle iron and he plugged it in. After a moment, he added non-stick spray and said, "This will help keep the waffles from sticking to the iron."

He grabbed the zorkaberry mix and using a medium ladle, scooped up some of the mix and poured it on the iron. He closed the lid and said, "This model tells you when the waffles are done, so, while we wait, let's get the skillets ready. One for the meat and one for the eggs. If we were doing bacon, we would use the bacon fat with the eggs. Today, Cyborg wanted the ham and there's plenty to go around."

They heated the skillets and Edward put the first ham steak in to heat up as the butter melted in the other pan. With the way the team trained, the calories would be burned off later in the day.

"Cyborg likes his eggs fried, so, this is the easiest way," he explained to the empath. He cracked two eggs into the pan and added salt and a dash of pepper.

By then, the waffles were done, and Edward showed Raven how ro carefully remove them and put them on a plate.

"Butter, Starfire?" Edward called out.

She nodded, "Mmm Mmm!"

Edward put some butter on the first layer of waffles and put another ladle on to cook. He knew Starfire would be hungry…then again the entire team was hungry.

"Take some of the melted butter and spoon it onto the eggs to partially cook the top," Edward instructed. Cyborg loved runny eggs, so, that's what he was teaching Raven. It was all very simple stuff.

"How do I know then they are done?" she asked.

"When the top of the egg is white," he said, "When they are done, take the spatula and carefully slide it underneath the egg and put that on Cy's plate. The ham should be flipped as well."

The cooking lesson continued and 20 minutes later, the team was sitting down to eat. Edward had put some items into a warmed oven.

The Titans dug into their meal, Edward helping Teether with his food while Raven supervised Timmy. Melvin was old enough to not need much supervision, though.

Starfire took one bite of her waffles and was overjoyed at the treat. She gave Edward a quick and, for her, gentle hug.

"You earned it, Starfire," Edward said, "for helping with the children."

The blueberry waffles went over very well with the other Titans, even Beast Boy who managed to grab some. Cyborg was impressed with the eggs as Edward allowed Raven to finish cooking those and the toast.

Edward looked at the chore sheet and announced, "Today's Cyborg's turn at the sink."

Cyborg said, "No problem…after this wonderful breakfast, it's worth the dishpan hands."

Edward, however, had done the pans while he was cooking, so, that made it easier for Cyborg.

15 minutes after the meal was done, Cyborg was finishing the dishes and sat down on the couch.

"Well, Titans," Robin said, "There are a few things to go over and they shouldn't take long.

"First off, are the kids. As I told Raven and Edward, if we get called out on a mission while the kids are here, they will be staying back."

Edward said, "May I interject?"

"Of course," Robin said.

"I think it would be a good idea for me to stay back and allow Raven to go. She raised an excellent point yesterday. We're a team and I have to remember that in missions. I'm used to handling fights solo, and she said that I'm doing too much in fights, not letting the team work as well as possible," Edward said, "For that, I apologize."

Robin said, "Apology accepted. You can stay back then. We'll contact you if we need backup, though." The others nodded.

"They'll be going back tomorrow, I think," Raven said, "I want to talk it over with Edward first, though."

Robin continued, "I got a message from Paris last night. They've got Mallah secured in a large cell. He's more docile than they thought he would be. From what they relayed, Edward called him a 'popsicle gorilla'."

The team laughed at that one. Edward explained, "I just reminded him that if he didn't behave, he'd be put back on ice." That got a laugh out of Beast Boy and even Starfire.

Robin chuckled, "I figured as much. Hopefully, Mallah will cooperate with the authorities and give up some information.

"We have a training session for after lunch. Hopefully the kids will be napping then. If not, Raven and/or Edward will be excused."

"If Cyborg doesn't mind, I can work out with his equipment," Edward said.

"That's the heavier stuff," Cyborg said, "It's several tons, remember?"

"I'm aware of that, Cy," Edward said, "That's perfect for me as well. I need the extra work."

"Only if you let me spot you," Cyborg said. Edward nodded in response.

"Ok, that's settled," Robin said, "In the next few days, we will be going over the records and making sure that things are updated. Batman is wanting to synchronize our database with the Justice League anyway, so, this will be a good time to make sure that everything updated. All files will be done. The Titan main members, honorary members, allies, and villains will be updated. I will handle one file personally. But, I will need to see Terra and Edward privately before then."

[Robin might want to tell Terra about Slade,] Edward said via the link, [Is she capable of handling the news? She looked bad this morning.]

[She still doesn't look all that well,] Raven said, [Should I talk to her?]

Edward pondered that one for a moment, [We've both been in her mind. She might respond to you. I'd stay on stand-by, just in case…or better yet, eavesdrop via the link.]

[Fine,] she said.

Edward said aloud, "No problem, Robin. You game, Terra?"

"Sure," she said.

[Something's wrong,] Raven said, [She's having problems with something. I can't put my finger on it.]

[Don't pry,] Edward advised, [She responds best to Beast Boy. We'll see if he figures out that she's upset.]

Robin dismissed the team a moment later. Edward, Raven and the kids went outside for a while.

Bobby made himself visible.

"You hungry, big guy?" Edward called up to him. Bobby nodded.

"All right," he said, "I'll teleport you to the forest. You'll have to stay invisible, though. We can't have the residents upset."

Edward shapeshifted to his larger dragon form. Bobby turned invisible and climbed on. Edward lifted into the air and teleported to the forest.

"I'll be back later on today," Edward said, "Please stay near here or let Melvin know where you will be so I can find you."

Bobby turned visible long enough to give Edward a smile.

After Bobby ambled into the forest, Edward went back to the Tower.

"He's going to get something to eat," Edward said.

"That's good," Raven said.

The kids were enjoying themselves immensely and, well, they had started to win Edward over. But, he knew, deep down, that the team was still years away from being able to have any kids there full time. Then, again, the way the three couples were going, there might be kids at the tower within that time frame. Edward didn't think there'd be a 1/3rd dragon, quarter human, quarter demon running around. But, he had no doubt that at some point Robin and Starfire would have kids, same with Terra and Beast Boy.

He didn't need the link to see that Raven was coming out of her self-imposed shell. He was enjoying seeing Raven as she was meant to be (well, after getting rid of Trigon, of course). She was slowly learning to let herself feel different emotions and the first was love for someone. Edward knew that the kids had beaten him to that area.

He had read Raven's report on that mission and was surprised to see that while the mission was a rough one, he could see when she warmed up to the kids and got involved when Mallah decided to try to kidnap them the first time.

Before Edward knew it, several hours had gone by. He snuck over to the water and reached down to see how the temperature was. It was still relatively cool, but, he had an idea.

[Hey, Rae?] he asked.

[What, Ed?] she replied.

[Water here isn't too cool. Want to take the kids to the beach later?] He inquired.

[I don't know if they can swim,] was her reply, [I'm sure that they will be here quite a bit over the years. We'll need to teach them before I feel safe letting them in the ocean.]

[Rats,] he replied, [Oh well, just a thought anyway.]

She sent a giggle through the link, [It's Ok, dear. I like the idea, but, we have to be safe, that's all.]

[I know,] he replied. He mused how the kids were really affecting Raven and he smiled despite himself. She was protective of them…as if they were her kids for real. He wondered how she'd be when they took the kids back home.

He heard a splash followed by a scream through the link, [EDWARD!]

He was already at a full run when he saw Raven drop her cloak and dive into the ocean. Without hesitation, Edward dove in and swam towards the spot where Raven dove in. Taking a deep breath, he went underwater and saw a trail of bubbles and headed for it.

He reached where Raven was struggling with something.

[Get to the surface, I'll handle this,] he said.

[It's got Melvin!] she cried.

[GO! You don't have enough air to handle this, I can breathe underwater if necessary,] he told her.

She headed for the surface and felt a sudden displacement of the water as Edward went Dragon.

At the edge of the water, the other Titans had gathered.

"Edward's fighting some creature that has Melvin!" Raven said. Beast Boy dove in to help without waiting for an order.

Edward had added gills to his Dragon form as a precaution as he realized he was fighting off a whale. He saw another whale approaching and realized Beast Boy had arrived to help.

Both Edward and Beast Boy rammed the other whale, forcing it to release Melvin. As that happened, there was a HUGE displacement as the ocean floor itself lifted. Terra had invoked her powers to force the ground to rise. The whale, Beast Boy, Edward and Melvin (in Edward's paw) were being lifted to the surface.

Terra played it smart, though and as the group surfaced, she stopped before the whale could be hurt by its own weight.

Edward turned around and leapt to the shore. He lowered Melvin to the ground and a panicked Raven reached her first and picked her up.

"Set her on the ground, Rae," Edward said.

She did and Edward returned to human form. He reached down and felt for a pulse.

"BLAST!" he growled and started doing chest compressions. Robin moved Raven out of the way and started doing rescue breaths for Melvin.

Beast Boy had also returned and pulled Raven into a hug.

"Let the whale go," Edward said to Terra. Terra nodded and focused. There was a slow grinding sound from underwater and the whale was allowed to go on its way.

"Come on, Melvin," Edward said, "Breathe!"

"Her lungs are flooded," Cyborg said sadly.

Edward moved to straddle the dying girl.

Robin saw the change and moved away, "Do it!"

Edward placed his hands just under her chest and pushed in and up as hard as he dared. A spout of water erupted from Melvin's nose and mouth.

Robin hurried and gave her some breaths as Edward resumed the chest compressions.

A faint beeping noise was heard. It was Cyborg's built-in scanner indicating that Melvin's heart has restarted.

Robin jerked away, spitting out salt water as Melvin started breathing again.

By then, Raven had collapsed, taking Beast Boy with her. Beast Boy was holding the empath and whispering words into her ear, trying to calm her.

[Raven, hon,] Edward said, [It's going to be all right. She's breathing.]

Raven looked as Melvin's skin started turning pink again. Raven let out a gasp and raced to Melvin.

All she did was hold Melvin and sob. Edward put an arm around Raven and focused a calming vibe into Raven.

"Get a gurney," Robin said to Cyborg and Beast Boy. They rushed into the Tower and a few minutes later, they were back with a gurney.

Melvin was still out cold as Raven carefully picked her up and put her on the bed.

Starfire, for her part, was fighting back her own tears as she held onto Timmy and Teether.

Everyone went into the Tower and straight to the infirmary. Raven moved Melvin to the diagnostic bed.

"75% Oxygen, 10 liters/minute," Edward ordered, "I'll need blood gases as well. Possibly blood thinners."

Cyborg placed an oxygen mask on her face and set the dials. He set up an IV with D5W-TKO as a precaution, but, didn't insert it yet.

"Not needed," Edward said.

Raven had stopped crying and an angry look replaced it. Her hands glowed blue and she moved close to Melvin.

"What?" Edward said.

"She can heal," Robin said. Edward nodded. He was going to do the same thing with his healing touch.

The glow faded from her hands and she said, totally monotone, "I've done all I can."

Edward looked up at the display and saw that the damage to her lungs was about 60% healed.

"I got it from here," Edward said, "I also can heal, along with a few other tricks."

Edward focused his healing ability into his hands, causing them to also glow blue. His eyes started glowing as well.

He placed his hands on either side of her chest and the glowing actually increased in intensity for several long moments before fading away. A look at the scanners showed that her lungs were healed. Edward couldn't do much about the whacky blood levels, though.

"She's going to be all right in a few hours," Cyborg said with a relieved smile.

"Keep her here overnight?" Edward suggested.

"Agreed," Cyborg said, "I don't like the look of the blood gas and her blood has thickened. I'll start her on blood thinners."

"Yeah, the salt water did that number to her," Edward explained to the others, "My healing abilities fixed her lungs and any possible heart damage, but, that didn't help her blood chemistry. That will fix itself overnight."

Raven went over to Edward and accepted his embrace. She wept quietly.

"She's going to be all right, dearest Raven," Edward said gently.

"I turned for just a second," she said, "Next thing I knew, the whale had grabbed Melvin and was gone."

"Hush, love. It's OK," Edward said.

"Sister Raven," Starfire said, coming over and pulling the empath into a very gentle hug, "Friend Edward's right, Melvin's going to be OK."

Raven was a wreck! She just wept into her honor sister's uniform until she cried herself to sleep.

"Let me have her," Cyborg said, "There's the spare bed here."

Cyborg, acting more like a big brother, took the exhausted empath from Starfire and laid her down. He got a blanket for Raven and covered her up, then got one for Melvin.

Edward monitored Raven through the link and even in her dreams, she was plagued by what had just happened. What bothered him the most was her view on how he treated her.

His heart was hurt "seeing" how she was hurting inside.

He took a deep breath and flooded the link with calming thoughts and emotions.

[Why did you yell?] Timid asked through the link.

[I'm sorry about that, Timid. I didn't mean to scare you. I was afraid that Rae would stay too long and I'd have to rescue her and Melvin,] he said calmly, and trying to reassure one of Raven's more fragile emotions.

[You care about her?] Timid asked.

[Of course, I do. Why wouldn't I?] Edward replied.

[She's done things that tend to chase people away,] Timid said.

[I know,] Edward said, [I don't care about Rae's past. I care about her present and her future more. You know how I fought for her, right?]

Timid sighed, [Thank you, for everything.]

Edward poured more calming emotions through the link and he sensed Raven falling into a deeper sleep as a result. He felt it was more of a healing sleep.

He gently put a hand on her cheek and she snuggled closer as a result.

Robin saw that and said, "You can lay next to her, if you want. She trusts you not to do anything bad, so, I do as well."

He smiled and gently got in bed. He pulled the empath closer and she responded favorably, snuggling close to him.

"Let's go, guys," Robin said gently, "Raven and Melvin will be OK. They're in the best hands possible."

Edward was glad for the privacy, though. It gave him a chance to project more calming thoughts to her, to reassure her that Melvin was going to be all right.

Raven spasmed in her sleep, as if she was fighting something.

"It's OK, sweetheart," he whispered into her ear, "Relax. I'm here. Melvin's safe."

She whimpered in her sleep, "No…can't let her drown."

"She's safe, Rae. She's in the Tower," Edward whispered, "She didn't drown."

"Please, you have to save her," she whimpered, "PLEASE!"

Edward's senses went into overdrive as the link went nuts. She was in the throes of another nasty nightmare.

"Raven! It's OK. Come on, dear, you have to wake up," Edward urged, "It's a nightmare, but, take control of it, like you did before."

She thrashed wildly and Edward had to hold her down as gently as he could.

She calmed a moment later as Edward started rubbing her back. Her breathing settled down as the link itself quieted. The worst of the dream was over.

In fact, Raven woke up a few moments later and rolled over to see her boyfriend there.

"Hi, sleepyhead," he said.

Raven sat up with a scowl, "What are you doing here?"

"Easy, Rae," Edward said, "You looked like you needed me in your sleep. You accepted my touch then."

"You didn't…" Raven said.

"Never while you sleep, dearest," he said, "Robin would throw me in jail if I did. He saw that you trusted me while you sleep and said he'd trust me to be a gentleman."

She relaxed then, "Sorry."

Edward smiled, "Don't be. This is the woman I love, remember? You didn't know."

"Actually, Timid's telling me that you talked to her," Raven said.

"She was scared. I had to be more forceful with you than I like," Edward said, "You could have drowned had I not been that way. I'm sorry if that offended you."

"I'm not offended, honey," she said, "But, I have to calm Timid down and a few other emotions. I need to meditate."

"Let me check on Melvin first, OK?" Edward asked. Raven nodded.

Edward got up and checked Melvin's vital signs. They were a shade off normal, but, the blood thinner was doing its job. She looked like she was about to wake up.

Edward smiled over to Raven, "She's going to be fine. In fact, I think she'll wake up shortly…

**[Commons]**

While Edward was tending to Raven, the others were waiting patiently for word. They knew it would be a while, though.

"That was scary," Beast Boy said, "We almost lost Melvin there."

Robin sighed, "And Raven. She would have drowned trying to save Melvin. We've seen how Edward is when he's protecting her. I don't want to see him if he ever fails in that mission. We couldn't stop him if his draconic temper erupts. We saw that with Malchior…that intense flashing of his scales in every color. That has to be a warning sign."

"It is," Beast Boy said, "He's part reptile and some reptiles alter their colors to intimidate enemies."

"Yet, despite that rage we saw, he allowed Terra here to finish the job," Robin said.

"I know why," Terra said, "If it wasn't for Edward and Raven…I'd be dead. He was acknowledging the life debt I owed him. He told me afterwards that he considered the debt paid."

"Please," Starfire said, "What is a debt of life?" She was holding the two other kids, who were napping peacefully.

Cyborg said, "That's a debt owed when one saves your life, Star. In some cultures, that's an important thing. I think Edward, at one point, was immersed in a culture that valued such a debt. He doesn't seem to be one who expects to collect on a life debt, though. I guess that he wanted Terra to know that as well."

"That was among other things," Robin said, "I think he realized that the team was there, watching his back. He spends so much time watching our backs that he has to make an effort to let us do what we do best. I'm glad I asked Raven to talk to him about it."

"He's certainly protective of the entire team," Terra said, "I wish he had been here when I first joined the team. I think he would have protected me from Slade."

Beast Boy said, "Terra, you could have come to us with those problems. We cared about you then as well as today. I fell for you at first sight."

She sighed, "I should have seen that, Garfield. I've regretted that since then." It was serious since Beast Boy was uncomfortable with his given name.

He pulled the geomancer into a hug and said, "Don't beat yourself up. I forgave you a long time ago. I had to because I had faith that you'd be back. If I held a grudge, how could I take you back?"

He kissed Terra to back up his point. She kissed him back, of course.

"Glorious," Starfire cheered quietly.

"Agreed, Star," Robin said, kissing her on the cheek.

"Good job, BB," Robin continued after that, "I know Edward was happy for the assist."

"Raven's my friend as well as Edward," Beast Boy said, "Of course I had their back."

"Same goes for you, Terra," Robin said.

"I knew that time was running out for them, I had to do something," she said.

"Thanks for not harming that whale," Beast Boy said.

"There was no reason to," Terra replied, "It probably was confused."

Robin sighed and reached for the remote to the TV and turned it on. While he really wanted to go over the crime reports, his heart wouldn't be in it while the empath was in distress. He was more worried about Raven's potential reaction and waiting for the inevitable tremor through the Tower if Edward ended up blasted through a window.

Luckily for the Boy Wonder, by then, Raven had woken up and realized that Edward was being a gentleman. There'd be no explosion today.

**[Infirmary]**

Melvin was starting to stir and that got both Edward and Raven over to her side.

"Uhhh!" Melvin moaned, "What happened?"

"A whale grabbed you," Raven said in a monotone.

"A whale?" she asked, "How am I still alive?"

"Because you're with the Titans," Edward said, "Rae and I jumped in to save you."

Melvin looked at both of them and her memory started to come back.

"I remember Raven swimming after me, then, you," she said, "Then nothing at all!"

She looked freaked out.

Raven gathered her in a hug, "It's OK, Melvin. You're safe."

The tears started for Melvin then. Raven just held her and murmured into her ear softly. Edward smiled softly, letting Raven know that she was doing the right thing. Melvin didn't have a mom, so, had latched onto Raven as a new mom.

Melvin calmed down after a few minutes and looked at Edward. He held out his arms and Melvin leapt into them.

"Easy, little lady," Edward said, chuckling.

"Thank you," Melvin said.

"You're most welcome, Melvin," Edward said, "It was a pleasure to help you."

"We all helped," Beast Boy said as the rest of the team walked in.

Terra went over and gave Melvin a hug, then, everyone else did.

"We couldn't let you be hurt," Terra said. The young geomancer wasn't letting it show, but, she had been badly frightened. But, a certain empath knew. It was hard to hide those feelings from Raven.

[Terra's been through a shock,] she said to Edward. He looked at Raven, then, Terra.

[I can't probe her mind,] Edward said, [We'll talk to her later on, when she's had time to bounce back some.]

Raven said, [Good idea.]

Edward put a hand on Terra's shoulder, which was gratefully grasped by her.

"How do you feel?" he asked, referring to Melvin.

"A little shaken," Terra replied, thinking that Edward was asking her.

"Want to talk about it?" Edward asked her.

"With Beast Boy, please," Terra replied.

"Fair enough," Edward said.

He gave a gentle squeeze and removed his hand.

"What about you, Melvin?" Edward asked, "Feeling better?"

"I'm OK," she said, "But, didn't I drown?"

Edward said, "We're not going to lie to you, child. You did drown. Beast Boy, Terra and I got you out of the water. Rae could have drowned as well, but, she tried to help.

"Robin and I helped to get you breathing again and brought you in here.

"That's when Raven really helped you. You know that dark energy she has?"

Melvin nodded.

"Well, Raven can help to heal people she cares about," Edward said, "She's really good at it."

[Don't tell her about my assistance. She needs to know that you were helping,] he advised Raven.

[You sure?] she asked, shocked a little bit.

[Positive, dear. You can have the credit,] he said.

He had to hope that the other Titans would realize what Edward was doing and not ruin it.

Melvin, though, absorbed the info as best she could. She surprised Raven with a quick hug and kiss.

Cyborg said, "Can I get you to lay down for a minute? I'd like to check you out real quick."

Melvin complied and sure enough, the diagnostic scanners showed that she was well enough to leave the infirmary.

Edward was relieved at seeing the little one healthy.

He and Raven walked with the other Titans to the common area to relax a little bit He didn't want to go through that sort of scare again. In the space of an hour, he had to rescue Melvin, then, Raven. He hated being gruff with his girlfriend, but, the empath might have drowned trying to rescue Melvin.

In her panic, she even forgot to use her powers…or maybe they didn't work underwater? Either way, she was powerless to protect Melvin. That left Edward and then the others to help.

But, Edward knew, deep down, that Raven needed the self-confidence boost he handed to her. He knew that she felt inadequate there. He knew that later that night, when dinner was done, they'd head outside for a while.

The excitement over, though, it was time to relax before the training session for the rest of the team…


	5. Kids go home while team worries build

**Chapter 5  
>[That afternoon]<strong>

Edward, Raven and the kids watched the other Titans going through training from the control center and they were quite pleased with how the times were all in the two minute to 2:15 mark.

Edward decided that since everyone was there, that he'd take his turn through the course.

Well, Edward ended up getting hit by the lasers a time or two and that cost him penalty seconds. The crushing doors were no problem, even the one that Edward would have to force up. The flying fists grazed Edward as he went through, costing him another penalty second.

The exploding disks were next in the course, but, that proved to be no problem as Edward blasted them out of the air with the lightning breath.

He landed as Robin said, "2:01, Edward. Not too bad, but, not the best you've done."

In fact, Terra managed to beat Edward's time that day. She had her own way of beating the course, but, she did refrain from destroying parts of it.

When the training session was over, they moved to sparring against each other. Robin made it a practice not to pair the couples against each other.

Today it was Edward sparring against Starfire. That was interesting as both could fly. Edward bowed in respect to Starfire and switched to his mini-dragon form. He made sure to keep his breath weapons low enough to avoid injury, but, powerful enough she'd know it if she got hit.

"Begin," Robin called out. Edward took to the air as Starfire joined him. He fired off a blast of lightning. Starfire dodged it, but, this time, Edward jumped the bolt ahead of Starfire, leading her the fraction of a second. Sure enough, she was hit this time.

She yelped and dove. Edward dove after her, catching her and flipping her towards the control center. She cartwheeled for a second before regaining control.

"Point for Edward," Robin announced.

Starfire opened fire with her starbolts. Edward shot straight up. That turned to be a miscalculation on his part as he stalled and in the few seconds it took for Edward to recover, he took several hard shots that made him see stars.

"Point, Starfire," Robin called out.

They both headed for each other at a high rate of speed. Edward dodged at the last second, releasing his ice breath as Starfire shot under him. It wasn't enough to encase her in ice, but, everyone saw her hair was quite frosty. She fired back with her eye beams. That scored a direct hit on Edward's scales. He roared in momentary pain and landed.

"Point, Starfire. A point for Edward as well," Robin called. It was tied at two points apiece. The next point would determine the winner.

Edward opted to engage Starfire in hand-to-hand combat and resumed his human form. Starfire swooped down to try and tackle him. He was ready for the attempt and soon as she was close enough, he dropped down and pounced like a cat.

Starfire couldn't recover fast enough as he slammed into her mid-section, knocking the wind out of her. She temporarily lost her flight powers and both headed for a hard landing. Edward quickly rolled so he'd be between Starfire and the ground.

Both hit hard and Starfire used that time wisely, flipping Edward onto his stomach and applying a hold that forced him to submit.

"You win, Starfire," he said. She stood up and said, "Thank you for the excellent match of sparring, friend Edward."

"You've got to teach me that last move," he said, rubbing his arm, "That was an effective arm bar."

She blushed in response.

"Not often I have to admit defeat, Star," Edward said, "But, you had me in a move that I couldn't break free of without breaking my own arm. Good job."

"Thank you, friend Edward," she said.

They sat back while the others sparred. Raven ended up teamed against Terra and that one, Edward and Beast Boy were rooting for their respective girlfriends.

Edward watched the match with a critical eye, looking to see how Raven could improve as well as Terra. He wasn't going to play favorites when it came to training.

The match lasted quite a while as Raven was able to defend herself very well against the geomancer.

Then again, Terra was holding her own against the empath. Each one used their abilities to the max, but, Edward realized they were evenly matched. Raven was countering Terra's moves.

He wanted to use the link to suggest a change in Raven's methods, but, realized that during the sparring session with Starfire, Raven stayed quiet. So, Edward followed Raven's example and refrained from using the link.

Edward also realized that the time Terra and Raven fought against each other for real, Terra was fueled by whatever hatred Slade implanted in her. Edward had to talk to the team to get more of that story. This time, Terra was more cautious in dealing with Raven.

That was until Terra hit an accidental cheap shot on Raven. All Edward heard was a snarl through the link.

_Oh no!_ Edward thought, shapeshifting to his smaller dragon form and flying between the two.

"Fight's over," Robin called down.

"Rae!" Edward said, "Calm down, it was an accident."

Raven looked like she was fit to kill and the energy started to crackle as a result.

"Raven! Stop!" Edward said, "B! Get Terra out of here!" Beast Boy formed a pterodactyl and grabbed Terra and lifted her out of the area.

[Raven, snap out of it. I saw what happened. It's all right,] he said, switching to the link.

[That little…!] Anger said, [She's mine!]

[Don't force me into action I'd regret, Anger. I've handled you in Nevermore and I won't hesitate to restrain Raven to control you, got it? Raven's forgiven Terra and you can either forgive her as well or I'll take you down again with the deepest of regrets. I do not wish to harm Raven, but, I will if I must!] Edward stated firmly

[You wouldn't dare. You wouldn't hurt the woman you love!] Anger retorted.

[He would if I gave him permission,] Raven said, [Continue and Edward has my permission to do whatever is necessary to control you, even if he has to hurt me physically. What's the choice, Anger?]

A snarl through the link, [Fine…you win, for now.]

Raven visibly relaxed, the red glow fading from her eyes as the energy faded as well.

Edward caught Raven as she staggered.

"You all right?" he said aloud.

"I think so," she said, "What happened?"

"Terra got you in a sensitive area and your anger came out," Robin said, "Beast Boy got Terra to safety while Edward calmed you down."

She nodded and said, "I need to be alone. I have to meditate."

She turned and left without a word. Edward hoped that she would be all right, but, for a while, the Titans would be babysitting the kids.

Edward sighed, "Sorry about that, guys."

"Sister Raven will be all right, yes?" Starfire asked.

"I think so," Edward said, "I'll try to check on her in a couple of hours. She needs to remind Anger who is boss, that's all."

Robin replied, "It's OK. We're kind of used to Raven being this way. She was like this before you joined the team."

"Something reminded Rae of the for real fights with Terra, I think," Edward said.

By then Terra had come back down. Edward rounded on the geomancer and said, "What the heck do you think you're doing, Terra? You could have gotten hurt!"

Terra stood her ground, "It was an accident! How was I to know she'd flip out?"

"You're lucky I was here to intervene, girl," Edward snarled, "You got lucky fighting her that one time. On even and dry ground, even I'm smart enough to avoid ticking Rae off to the point she loses control. She might be free of Trigon's influence but, that doesn't make her any less dangerous when provoked. She's more than capable of flattening you, got it?"

"Sure, take her side," Terra groused.

"Terra, I'm going to let that INSULT slide. If I were taking her side, I wouldn't have protected you from her," Edward said, eyes starting to glow a faint yellow, "I protect not just Raven, little lady…I will protect this entire team. That includes you, Terra. You are a friend. To me and Rae. Remember our conversation and you asked if I was certain that I wanted to be your friend? I told you that I was certain. Don't forget that, please."

He took a deep calming breath and the glow in his eyes, barely noticeable anyway, faded.

Terra said, "Sorry, Edward."

"If Beast Boy doesn't mind this," Edward said, "time for a hug, if that's OK."

Beast Boy smiled, "It's OK."

Terra walked slowly to Edward, almost like a kid who had gotten into trouble.

Edward pulled her into an embrace and after a moment, she returned it. He pulled away and keeping his hands on her shoulders looked her in the baby blues.

"No harm, no foul," Edward said, "Just be more careful in the future. Raven's going to be upset anyway, but, I'll take care of it."

"You're not mad at me?" she asked.

"You've seen me mad at someone already. I'm not mad at you, but, you'll have to face Raven after she meditates and make it up to her. But, I'm going to ask Robin here to not put you two as sparring partners for a while. Not until whatever remaining bad blood is between you is taken care of."

"But, she forgave me, right?" Terra asked, confused.

"I had thought so," Edward said, "But, one of her emotions is not as forgiving as the rest of my girlfriend is. That's why she's meditating and I'm not going to eavesdrop on it. She asked to be alone, so she can deal with things. I trust Rae to handle things and so should you."

Terra sighed, "I wish I could undo the past."

"Don't Terra," Beast Boy said, "The past makes you who you are now. I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Beast Boy's right," Robin said, "If I had my way, two very important people in my life wouldn't have died. But, preventing their deaths would change all of us. It would have prevented me from becoming who I am today, it would have prevented the Titans from being a team…from being friends."

"Heck," Edward said, "I can time teleport as well, and, believe me, there's a lot of things I'd love to change. I'd love to go back and prevent World War II and protect those lives lost. But, what would happen in the historical void? Would an even worse war have broken out? Would some other country developed nuclear weapons and without warning or provocation destroyed the United States. Russia, my dear, only set aside the political differences due to a common enemy. If Germany hadn't helped start the world war, would the old USSR have developed the A-bomb first and proven their value by blasting Washington, DC off the map?"

"I see what you mean," Terra said.

"It doesn't take an empath or an old dragon like me to see someone here who would be different without you in his life. Someone who loves you with every fiber of his shapeshifting body," Edward said, looking Terra in the eye.

Beast Boy pulled Terra into his own embrace and said, "I've loved you from the start, Terra…even when you couldn't love yourself. You no longer need rescuing in the way you meant so long ago. You're still that hip chick who needed friends. You're the best friend I've ever had."

She sniffled and said, "I know that. I don't deserve any of you, but, thank you for being my friend."

Edward groaned, but, said, "There's one thing, though, I'm sensing from her that she's going back to how she was earlier…she's finding a balance between the old Raven and this new Raven, the one that is letting herself feel more and more. There's times when I thought she'd erupt and end up surprised when she is calm about it.

"We have to let her find that balance, for the team's sake, not just mine…"

**[Conclusion]  
>[Next day]<strong>

Raven had emerged from her room in the morning and sought Terra out.

"OK," she said, "I'm going to be the bigger person here and let yesterday go. I understand it was an accident."

Terra replied, "Sorry anyway."

"It's all right, Terra," Raven replied, "In fact, I need to apologize as well."

"Call it even?" Terra suggested.

"Works for me!" Raven said.

Later on, Edward and Raven decided to take the kids back to the mountains for a while, they had gotten lucky and no missions were called and they didn't want to press their luck.

Edward retrieved Bobby from the forest and after the kids said their good-byes to the team, Raven reassured them that they could visit again very soon. That eased their fears.

Starfire gave the kids a parting hug…an extremely gentle hug for her. Even Silkie stuck his head out for a rub from Melvin.

Robin and Cyborg made smaller versions of the communicators and made them the first "Junior Titans" and validating Raven's decision from earlier.

Edward teleported the kids back to their home and thanked the monks for their valuable service. He also let them know that should they need anything, to call him at the Tower. He knew that raising kids was stressful on the mind and the pocketbook. He wanted to make sure that the monks were taken care of.

After he returned from the mountains, he had time to check his email and clear out the spam in the box, sort valid emails into different boxes, etc.

Then, he checked the crime reports that were online and was pleased to see that crime was leveling out. Robin had access to more detailed information of course, but, even Edward had noticed things were settling down. The police were handling most of the incidents.

Raven was happier than usual, it seemed to Edward that the kids really did help her out. But, Edward was concerned. He loved Raven the way she was before everything went bad with Malchior. Since then, the stress of her recovery was ebbing, but starting to take a minor toll. It seemed that every time she'd make a significant gain, there'd be a setback. Edward prayed that his girlfriend would have some time to complete the process, though.

Then again, Raven was tiring of the setbacks as well. She loved how Edward protected her as she really did need the help. She enjoyed letting herself feel more positive emotions and that warm area that Edward represented was a great comfort to her in the crisis moments. But, she feared that he'd tire of the constant strain and leave the team and leave her as well.

Robin could also see the signs of stress on the couple's faces at times. He had come to consider Edward as more than a team mate. He saw Edward as a brother, a great friend and, well, Robin was too proud to admit it, but, he owed Edward. He helped break the ice with Starfire and since then, both he and Star were happy.

Starfire was also pleased, and greatly so. She ended up making a small batch of the "pudding of happiness" for herself and whoever else wanted some. Robin did try some out of courtesy and was able to stomach the pudding. Edward found it to be a really weird taste, but, could enjoy it.

Beast Boy had his hands full, though. He had actually realized Terra was upset about something, but, she wasn't really talking about it. So, he played the patient boyfriend as well. He was learning to use his human nature to deal with Terra's issues and his being there was helping the geomancer. He told her, "I'm here when you need me, Terra." That simple statement got a soft smile out of her.

Terra was depressed and it was showing, though. The team didn't want to pressure her, though. Slade was right about Terra in one aspect: She had the capacity to be the most dangerous person around if she were to lose control. Edward had to give Slade some credit in giving her the means to control her abilities. But, his anger burned when he found out how he was abusing her. That, to Edward, was worth returning the favor. Terra, at that time, was already unstable and Slade's abuse of Terra to the point of taking physical control of her body was the ultimate insult. For that, there would be a severe reckoning should Slade show his mask in Jump City again.

Cyborg was still the odd man out couple-wise and he didn't mind that. He still had his relaxation time with the other members of the team. The three couples didn't flaunt it in his face, either. The team still worked like a well-oiled machine, Cyborg thought. Everyone did their fair share and saved Robin and him from getting on the others.

There was one benefit to having Edward on the team, Cyborg realized. The others were not able to handle the weight that Cyborg was used to. Edward was able to spot Cyborg during workouts, and vice-versa. Cyborg finally had someone as a workout partner. Even in his human form, Edward was able to lift the weights. Well, Edward was muscular to begin with, the added training sessions were starting to have a positive effect on Edward's body…He was getting a well-defined "six-pack" and added bulk. Raven even commented on it favorably.

_Raven writes…_

_It's been an interesting couple of weeks, but, the emotions have repaired their individual realms nicely._

_The kids were great during their visit. Sure, we had a huge scare with Melvin. I don't know what I would have done had Edward and Beast Boy not charged in there to help. I don't know how to thank them…Well, Edward's so modest he'd accept a sincere 'thank you'. Beast Boy might gloat about it and I'd have to phase him through the window again._

_Terra – she worries me. She's not good at hiding her emotions and I pick them up at times. Does she suspect that Slade's still alive? How will she react when she finds out?_

That is a tale coming up…very soon.

The End…for now.

A/N: Thanks for the couple of reviews and more importantly to me the story/author alerts folks are signing up for. It means a lot to me.

The next story is one that was requested a while ago, but, will take a while to write as I want to get it right. So the first chapter may (or may not) get posted later "tonight". I'm sure, though, that the dots are there to see where I'm heading next, right?

OK...To answer one question posed in a review. I know Raven's a tad OOC in these stories. In the series, she's not as warm and cuddly, even after Trigon's defeat. Here, I'm using a blend of the series version of Raven as well as the late 1980s/early 1990s "White Raven" where she does openly display emotions. Don't worry, folks...I know Raven's going through the wringer here. Our favorite empath will come out stronger then she was before.

See ya soon!


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